KR20160055274A - System and method for electrical charge transfer across a conductive medium - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for powering a detected device coupled to a conductive backplane, comprising: supplying a plurality of sense signals at a plurality of transmit impedance values to the conductive backplane; Analyzing a plurality of return signals received from the conductive backplane and corresponding to the sense signals; Detecting the presence of a sink device coupled to the conductive backplane based on the analyzed return signal; And powering the sink device from the power supply through the conductive backplane after detecting the presence of the sink device.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a system and a method for transferring charge through a conductive medium,

Embodiments of the invention relate to the field of systems and methods for transferring power and transferring information between multiple devices.

Modern soldiers and other professionals possess and utilize many portable electronic devices for performing their mission, with a range of communication equipment, visual aids (e.g., night vision goggles and binoculars), sensors, and navigation devices. The use of such portable electronic devices is expected to continue to increase. Such devices typically utilize dedicated or device-specific batteries and typically communicate with each other using interconnect cables to provide a means for dismounting an already overloaded device (e.g., a soldier And the complexity of its operation. For example, a standard dismount for a 72 hour mission requires seven different types of 70 batteries, which often add a weight of 16 pounds.

As discussed above, modern professionals (e.g., military and firefighters) who work in the field often carry an array of electronic devices when performing their tasks. Such devices include, but are not limited to, communication devices (e.g., phones and wireless), navigation devices (e.g., GPS devices), lighting (e.g., flash), visual aids (e.g., binoculars and night vision goggles) And other specialized tools. These electronic devices may have different power requirements (e.g., different operating voltages, powers, and impedances) and each therefore includes a dedicated battery that typically meets the specific energy requirements of the device.

However, batteries generally require frequent recharging or replacement, which results in an additional burden on the transportation and training process. For example, replacement and backup batteries must be stored or stored to replace discharged units, and a large number of charging systems need to be provided to recharge the dedicated batteries. In addition, the wider range of types of batteries are more incompatible, thus increasing the burden of transportation.

Electronic devices typically communicate with each other using interconnected cables. However, cables can interfere with movement, and interconnections (e.g., connectors or connection points) between cables or between cables and devices can degrade reliability, and device replacement can be time consuming and inconvenient have. Fixed cable lengths and device placement may not be scalable to the various military body shapes and may be incompatible with such soldier's movement habits.

In recent years, efforts to develop smart fibers, in which electric wires are woven in clothes, only solve problems of cable connection and distribution. However, smart fibers provide only a partial solution because the fabric is imposed at a fixed location on the electronic device. Moreover, these fabrics have inherent reliability problems due to weak interconnection wiring. Wireless solutions can not deliver large power to devices, have low signal transmission efficiency, and in many instances will not work in the field at all. The improved battery reduces the weight but still allows the user to manage the battery for each individual device.

Existing R & D efforts have seen these issues as independent and have sought to progressively improve individual devices. One example of such an effort is the modular universal battery charger (MUBC) (Thales, 2012), which can use a variety of power sources including vehicle batteries, and solar panels have configurability, And intelligence upon charging. Thales' MUBC, however, still requires individual charging of each device, and still allows the soldier to be tied to complex wires and exposed to motion disturbances on his mission.

Embodiments of the invention relate to a system comprising two or more devices capable of communicating and exchanging electrical energy through a shared conductive medium and a method of operation of such a system. Such media can be metal plates, conductive fabrics, or any other conductive material including wires and cables. Embodiments of the present invention do not require separate cables and interconnections, so the connection can be made only through contacts between the device and the shared conductive medium.

According to one embodiment, the conductive medium is exposed (e.g., without electrical isolation) to an environment that creates opportunities for contact with the device. Embodiments of the present invention provide a controller for controlling the transfer of charge between devices to ensure safe and efficient operation regardless of whether the transmitted charge carries a communication signal or power. Embodiments of the present invention also provide a system and method for automated unattended connection management while monitoring operational status for recharging automated background systems and ensuring efficient and secure transmission.

An aspect of an embodiment of the present invention operates roughly analogously to a wireless network access point (e.g., WiFi). Embodiments of the present invention utilize non-radiative operation and thus generate limited radiation to ensure RF signal concealment and security. Some embodiments of the present invention monitor the state of the inter-device connection to ensure maximum efficiency, thus ensuring optimal impedance matching and low emissions, thereby reducing or minimizing the EM signature. Embodiments of the present invention also provide sensing status monitoring and agile circuitry to prevent unexpected discharges in extreme conditions such as water submersion, high temperature, or mechanical shock.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a body network, a consumer electronics, and a point-of-sale (POS) terminal. For example, embodiments of the present invention may be used in the defense industry and electronic chip manufacturers with "smart" uniforms (or dress), and may be used in POS terminals, access control (eg, Or in contact-based communication with secure devices that allow access to or access to information).

In some embodiments of the present invention, the conductive medium is essentially conductive (e.g., metal), and in other embodiments the conductive medium is a material coated with a conductive material. Some examples of such materials are: metal plates, conductive fabrics, wiring meshes, single wire cables, conductive paints, metal holders, metal enclosures, and so on.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the conductive medium is a mesh or network of conductive material that is fully exposed, partially or completely insulated. Some examples of these materials are: metal patches, conductive fabrics, conductive fabric patches, wiring meshes, cable meshes, conductive paints, metal holders, metal enclosures, and the like.

Embodiments of the present invention include configurable circuitry that essentially supports high frequency and large bandwidth to enable information (or data) exchange applications in addition to power management. For example, embodiments of the present invention may be used to provide communication capabilities for data exchange, secure communications, access control, and biometric verification. Embodiments of the present invention also allow for remote device interrogation and low-power provisioning to allow a zero wire non-battery dispersed sensor network to be integrated across an apparel (e.g., uniform). For example, a health-monitoring device worn by an injured soldier can be accessed by a medical practitioner wearing the system according to an embodiment of the present invention even when a soldier's vest (including a soldier's primary battery) is removed, This is because the medic's battery can be used to power, control, and communicate to the health-monitoring device of a soldier.

Embodiments of the present invention manage the power distribution across conductive media by continuously monitoring mobile and external contacts. Embodiments of the present invention utilize the collected information to predict the connection so that when the conductive medium contacts the charging station, the connection is quickly and automatically detected and uncharged charging can occur. This makes it possible to simplify the integration and charge management or equipment of the filling station at dismounted locations such as vehicle seats, safety belts, sleeping bags, clothing hooks and clothes hangers often appearing. Equipment that is not directly attached to a garment according to an embodiment of the invention is disposed in the conductive pocket or the alignment and the conductive hook and loop material (e.g., Velcro ^®) to allow the connection of the conductive fabric backplane 10 have.

Thus, embodiments of the present invention include: cable-less efficient inter-device communication and energy exchange; Elimination or reduction of interconnections to improve reliability and reduce training time; Arrangement of arbitrary and non-compliant devices (e.g., placement at any location on the worn garment); Improved freedom of movement of a person wearing a garment (for example, a soldier); Prioritized centralized battery system for energy distribution; Continuous exchange of charge and information between multiple systems (e.g., soldiers-to-soldiers and soldiers-to-vehicles); Battery-free charging through garments (for example, military uniforms); Non-intrusive automated charging systems that deliver energy to the efficiency of wired systems on an opportunistic basis; A large battery weight reduction (e. G., 30% reduction) for the same amount of available energy capacity; 10 times reduction of shipping effort; And intrinsic support for passive sensors to enable continuous health monitoring.

In addition to reducing the burden on the user (e.g., a soldier), embodiments of the present invention also improve the delivery of supplies.

At the device level, the circuitry in accordance with embodiments of the invention provides a variety of power capacities and serves as a general purpose charger that can almost completely eliminate the need for an individual device to have a disposable battery. Moreover, the battery-independent characteristics of embodiments of the present invention enable naturally supporting solar thermal, kinetic energy, or renewable energy generation such as RF harvest.

According to an embodiment of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for supplying power to a plurality of devices coupled to a conductive backplane, the conductive backplane comprising a conductive pathway comprising: a signal generator and a signal detector, A sensing circuit coupled to the sensing circuit; A power supply coupled to the conductive backplane; And

The controller circuit comprising: a controller for controlling the signal generator to supply a plurality of sensing signals at the plurality of transmission impedance values to the conductive backplane; Analyze a plurality of return signals detected by the signal detector and corresponding to the sense signals; Detecting the presence of a sink device coupled to the conductive path of the conductive backplane based on the analyzed return signal; And to supply power to the sink device via the conductive path after detecting the presence of the sink device.

The controller circuit further comprising: detecting absence of the sink device; And to stop supplying power to the switching device through the conductive path in response to detecting the absence of the sink device.

The controller circuit may be configured to detect the absence of the sink device by detecting a change in one return signal corresponding to the sink device among the return signals.

The controller circuit may be configured to detect the absence of the sink device by detecting a reduction in current on the conductive path.

The controller circuit comprising: detecting a short in the conductive path; And to stop powering the conductive path from the power supply in response to detecting the short circuit.

Wherein the controller circuit is configured to: supply a handshake request to the sink device via the conductive path; And to receive a handshake response from the sink device via the conductive path.

The controller circuit may be a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or an analog feedback circuit.

The handshake request may include a digital signal, a digital signal representing the code.

The handshake response may comprise a change in impedance and the device may be configured to receive a handshake response by detecting a change in the return signal of the return signal after providing the handshake request.

The conductive pathway may comprise a conductive fabric of the garment.

The device may be configured to charge a battery device coupled to the device through a conductive path.

The device may be located in a vehicle that includes a seat and the conductive path may include a first conductive portion on a surface of the seat, the device being configured to electrically connect the battery to the second conductive portion of the garment while the battery is electrically connected to the second conductive portion of the garment. And the first conductive portion of the surface of the sheet may be electrically connected to the second conductive portion of the garment.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus configured to power power through a shared conductive backplane includes: a terminal coupled to the shared conductive backplane; And a first device identification impedance electrically coupled to the terminal and the shared conductive backplane.

The apparatus comprising: a second device identification impedance; And a switch configured to selectively couple and decouple the second device identification impedance to the shared conductive backplane.

The apparatus may further comprise controller circuitry, the controller circuitry comprising: detecting a handshake request signal through the conductive backplane; And to turn the switch on or off in response to the detected handshake request.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method of powering a detected device coupled to a conductive backplane includes the steps of: providing a plurality of sense signals at a plurality of transmit impedance values to the conductive backplane; Analyzing a plurality of return signals received from the conductive backplane and corresponding to the sense signals; Detecting the presence of a sink device coupled to the conductive backplane based on the analyzed return signal; And powering the sink device from the power supply through the conductive backplane after detecting the presence of the sink device.

The method comprising: detecting an absence of the sink device; And stopping in response to detecting the absence of the sink device to supply power to the sink device through the conductive backplane.

The step of detecting the absence of the sink device may include a step of detecting a change in one return signal corresponding to the sink device among the return signals.

The step of detecting the absence of the sink device may include detecting a decrease in current on the conductive path.

The method includes detecting a short circuit; And stopping, in response to detecting the shorting, powering the sink device through the conductive backplane.

The method comprising: providing a handshake request to the sink device via the conductive path; And receiving a handshake response from the sink device via the conductive path.

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Figure la is a block diagram illustrating a system using a shared conductive medium, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
1B is a schematic diagram illustrating various devices connected to a system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
1C is a graph comparing the cumulative distribution function corresponding to the estimated battery life for a conventional battery configuration with a shared battery configuration and a separate battery for each device.
2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an inherent concept of power and data transmission between devices, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
3A is a schematic diagram of a manager device according to one embodiment of the present invention.
3B is a block diagram illustrating a send side of a system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
3C is a block diagram illustrating a transmitter circuit in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3D is a schematic block diagram of a receiving side of a sink device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3E is a circuit diagram illustrating a sink device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for transmitting a signal or power from a manager device to a sink device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
5A is a flow chart illustrating a method of performing impedance measurements over a shared conductive backplane, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
5B is a flow chart illustrating a method of performing a handshake operation with a sink device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

In the following description, for purposes of illustrating the invention, only certain exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown and described through way of example. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the specification.

Embodiments of the present invention utilize a shared conductive medium to create an energy and information distribution medium (or conductive medium or network) that allows the fabric bus to act as an intelligent conformal "docking station ". Embodiments of the present invention include a high speed, network-like impedance control system operating in a closed feedback loop that continuously monitors efficiency and energy transfer is performed in an opportunistic manner, To compensate for continuous and unpredictable changes in the operating parameters due to variations in < RTI ID = 0.0 > In some embodiments, monitoring and energy transfer may be performed by an analog feedback circuit.

In order to obtain conductivity, according to one embodiment, the conductive medium 10 (e.g., uniform of a soldier) 10 may be woven with a conductive thread or coated with a conductive polymer. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a conductive fabric available from Shieldex-U.S. InC. Is used to provide conductive threads or materials used in uniforms of soldiers.

A device configured to operate with a system according to an embodiment of the present invention may be part of the system only through physical contact with the conductive medium. As such, charge may be transferred to and from another device in contact with the conductive medium. Such devices may include an administrator device, a primary power source device, a power sink device, a satellite device, an external charging port, and other networks (e.g., other conductive media).

1A is a block diagram illustrating a power management system using a shared conductive medium in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention wherein the system includes a conductive medium 10, a manager device 100, and active and passive sink devices (200). Both the manager device 100 and the active and passive sink device 200 are electrically connected to the conductive medium 10 using conductive terminals (or electrodes) on the surface of the device in contact with the conductive medium 10, do. Thus, both the manager device 100 and the active and passive sink device 200 are electrically connected to each other through the conductive medium 10.

1B is a schematic diagram illustrating various devices coupled to a system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention in which a manager device is coupled to a power source, a power consuming device, and various other devices, such as a connection to an external power source, Lt; / RTI > uniform. 1B, the manager device 100 may be coupled to the battery 110 to allow the manager device 100 to supply power to the active and passive sink device 200. [ 1B illustrates a charger manager 400 that may also be coupled to the conductive medium 10, for example, through a vehicle seat and a coat rack. The charger manager 400 may also be coupled to the battery 410 or may include a connection to a power grid.

Aspects of embodiments of the present invention provide a distributed battery system with no cables, adaptability, and reliability, while providing dynamic control through ready access and configuration to information. This leads to improved load balancing, which also reduces the burden on battery capacity. 1C is a graph comparing cumulative distribution functions corresponding to the estimated battery life of a conventional battery configuration with a shared battery configuration and a separate battery for each device, wherein the shared battery system (solid line) The dashed line has a 22-hour longer estimated operating lifetime than the equivalent system consisting of individual batteries. This difference translates to a 30% lower battery capacity requirement, and therefore weighs 30% less for similar performance.

However, convergent power systems are vulnerable to single-point failures. Embodiments of the present invention intrinsically manage redundant, centralized batteries, thereby increasing reliability while providing the benefits of a shared energy source without troublesome interconnections.

Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in three aspects: a common signal backplane (or conductive backplane) 10, a manager module 100 and components of one or more sink devices that provide intelligent distribution of power and data, . The sink device may include active and passive sink device 200.

2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an inherent concept of power and data transmission between devices, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the conductive backplane 10 serves as the transmit modality from the supply 610 to the sink 710. Both the transmit (source) side 600 and the receive (sink) side 700 measure the impedance of the interface NN state and the interfaces 620 and 720 directly connected to the conductive backplane 10, And controller circuits 630 and 730 that are configured to control their respective interfaces 620 and 720 to adjust, for example, voltage, frequency, and phase. The controller circuit may be a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or an analog feedback circuit.

According to one embodiment, the conductive backplane 10 includes an exposed electrical conduit that includes one or more conductive paths that are electrically disconnected from ground and from each other. For example, one shared conductive medium may correspond to a conductive jacket while the other, electrically distinct conductive medium may correspond to conductive pants. In various embodiments of the present invention, the exposed electrical conduit may be any conductive material, such as conductive fabric, enclosure, cable, railing, and the like. Such components may be referred to herein as conductive media or transmission media or modality.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the conductive fabric is used as the common signaling backplane 10. Conductive fabric applications range from consumer electronics and medical antimicrobial treatments (Raoul Groβ, 2010) to thermal imaging evasion and conformal antennas (Elliot, Rama Rao, Davis, & Marcus, 2012). Conductive fabrics can be made from a variety of source materials including polymers (Liangbing Hu, 2010), with wear performance and a feel similar to conventional non-conductive fabrics.

In order to perform impedance measurements at the same time (or simultaneously) as supplying power (DC or AC) to a device of a class of a dependent (e.g., sink device) Or time division multiplexing. For example, while power is delivered using DC, impedance measurements can be made at an AC frequency (e.g., high frequency). As another example, the AC power may be supplied at a different time than the other AC signals.

3A is a schematic diagram of a manager device 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3A, the manager device 100 may be electrically coupled to two or more conductive media 10a and 10b, which may be electrically disconnected from each other or coupled to one or more sink devices have. For example, in one embodiment, the conductive medium 10b corresponds to the pants while the conductive medium 10a corresponds to the vest of the soldier's uniform. Moreover, in some embodiments of the present invention, the conductive medium 10 may be a multipath backplane in that it includes a plurality of electrically isolated conductive media. For example, a conductive vest having a multipath backplane may include multiple layers or multiple strips of conductive fabric, each of these layers or strips being electrically isolated from one another.

Additionally, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to situations in which the conductive medium is integrated in the garment. In some embodiments of the present invention, the conductive medium is a mesh or network of conductive material that is fully exposed, partially or completely insulated. Some examples of these materials are: metal patches, conductive fabrics, conductive fabric patches, wiring meshes, cable meshes, conductive paints, metal holders, metal enclosures, and the like.

The manager device 100 is capable of: generating a complex electrical signal (the complex signal means a signal with varying amplitude and phase), supplying the generated signal to the conductive medium 10, and measuring the return of the complex signal Sensing circuitry 104; Processing (intelligent) circuitry 106 (e.g., a microprocessor memory for storing an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, a microcontroller, or data and program instructions), a conductive medium Electronic switching circuitry 108 that can switch across multiple terminals / connections coupled to various electrically isolated components (e.g., other layers or strips of conductive fabric) of the electronic switching circuitry 108; And an impedance switching circuitry 102 that is capable of producing various complex impedances (e.g., various resistances having various inductances and capacitances). The manager may further include an AC / DC 112 or DC / DC 114 conversion circuit portion and a routing circuit portion. Furthermore, an administrator may use a communication (or "comms") circuitry (not shown) to generate and receive signals for digital communication between a device coupled to the backplane 10 116).

Exemplary configuration circuitry of the electronic circuitry for generating various complex impedances includes a variable delay line, a varactor diode, and a tunable dielectric material. Additionally, the signal generating circuitry 112 may adjust the amplitude, frequency, and phase of the AC source signal to reduce or minimize transmission losses.

3B is a block diagram illustrating a send side 600 of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the various components of the sender 600 correspond to components of the manager device 100. [

3C is a schematic representation of a transmitter circuit 600 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. An AC voltage source 1042 (in one embodiment, a component of the sensing circuitry 104) generates a signal that regulates the phase and amplitude to increase or maximize the transmission efficiency. The switching network 108 is used to select the optimal charge transfer path in the example of the multipath backplane. The sensing circuitry 104 measures the reflection of the measured generation signal and the processing circuitry 106 uses the measured signal to evaluate the transmission medium state as described in more detail below. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, processing circuitry 106 may use some of the characteristics of the reflected signal (e.g., the expected characteristic impedance and the expected delay through the backplane) to construct an initial set of states Assumptions. In some embodiments, an impedance transformer is used as the impedance matching circuitry 102 between the backplane 10 and the transmit side 600, although embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto and may include inductors, capacitors, And any other impedance matching network such as that comprised of other circuitry.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the system comprises two classes of sync devices, active and passive sinks. FIG. 3D is a schematic block diagram of a receiving side 700 of a sink device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The sink device 200 shown in FIG. 3D includes an energy sink 220 representing a load of a device to be fed (for example, a wireless communication device, an environmental health sensor, a navigation device, etc.); (Intelligent) circuitry 206 (e.g., a controller circuit such as an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, a microcontroller, or a microprocessor and memory for storing data and program instructions), a multi- An electronic switching circuitry 208 that can switch through a number of terminals / connections coupled to the backplane, and impedance matching to improve various transmission impedances by creating various complex impedances (e.g., various resistances with various inductances and capacitances) And an electronic circuit unit 202. In some embodiments, an impedance transformer is used as the impedance matching circuitry 202 between the backplane 10 and the device 700, although embodiments of the present invention are not so limited and may include inductors, capacitors, delay lines, Any impedance matching network such as that comprised of other circuitry may be used. The sink device 200 includes communications (or "comms") circuitry 216 for generating and receiving signals for digital communication between devices (e.g., a manager device) coupled to the backplane 10 ). ≪ / RTI >

According to some embodiments of the invention, the sink device is identified by the complex impedance (real and / or imaginary) of the device along with the physical position of the device on the backplane that together define a unique device ID. As another specific example, in some embodiments the device ID may be configured as a set of impedances that are iteratively switched for the interrogating (sensing) voltage.

3E is a circuit diagram illustrating a sink device 700 according to an embodiment of the present invention, configured to provide repeated (or sequentially) varying impedances. Here, the communication circuitry 216 is configured to determine the first and second impedances ( R ₁ ± jQ ₁ and R ₂ ± jQ ₂ ) and the reference transition for the timing purpose and the "increased-complexity" at the impedance- Controlled by signal s ₂ (v, t) to selectively _couple and disconnect the second stage impedance ( R ₂ ± jQ ₂ ) to provide the second stage impedance ( R ₂ ± jQ ₂ ). Although FIG. 3E illustrates one embodiment having two impedances ( R ₁ ± jQ ₁ and R ₂ ± jQ ₂ ) and one switch 2162, embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, As discussed in more detail, it may include three or more impedances and two or more switches 2162 to provide additional impedance to provide to the sensing circuitry to provide additional information at the device ID.

In some embodiments, the sink device is an active sink device that includes a local power source such as a battery. In such an embodiment, the sink device may be configured to operate without being fed by an external source through the conductive backplane. In some embodiments, the battery of the active sink device may be charged through the backplane. Since the active sink device includes a local power source, it can perform operations (e.g., perform calculations in the controller circuit, transmit signals, etc.) using local power.

In some embodiments, the sink device is a passive sink device that does not include local power and uses energy provided from the transmitting side to operate. . A passive sink device may operate in a manner similar to a passive RFID tag, wherein a sense signal received by the passive sink device may cause the passive sink device to send information back to the manager. In some instances, the passive sink is powered by the received sense signal. For example, the passive sink device may include a rectifier and a conversion circuit portion including a capacitor for converting and storing AC power received from the backplane 10. [

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the charger device 400 includes a transmit side structure substantially identical to the transmit side 600 shown in FIG. 3B, the description of which will not be repeated here.

The manager device 100 or the charger device 400 that is coupled to the backplane 10 acts as a "master" of the backplane, which communicates with "subordinate" devices (e.g., active and passive sink devices) Tune. If two or more manager devices are attached to the backplane (e.g., two different backplanes contact each other, such as when two people wearing these devices touch each other), higher hierarchy (e.g., A device having a power supply, a higher charge level, or another metric for determining priority) is the master of the backplane (or connected backplanes).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the transmitter module 600 of the supervisor module 100 and the charger device 400 may be configured to control the complex signal generator of the sensing circuitry 104 to generate a complex signal for several purposes, 1) sensing the surround environment to induce impedance measurements and positioning the device on the network; 2) communicating between the devices; And 3) a secondary (sync) device (active or passive) in which the complex signal generator of the sensing circuitry 104 is controlled by the processing circuitry 106.

The characteristic of the generated complex signal depends on the operation mode. For example, embodiments of the present invention produce precise and accurate signals for sensing the environment. On the other hand, a signal having low energy consumption and reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI) may be used for communication between the devices. When a complex signal is used for energy transmission, the signal can be tuned to reduce or minimize transmission loss.

4 is a flow chart illustrating a method 500 for transmitting a signal or power from a manager device 100 to a sink device, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. This method includes performing an impedance measurement on the network to detect activity at or around the bus 510, tuning the impedance on the transmit side 530, and determining the type of transmit 550 (e.g., For example, a data signal or power).

Impedance measurement 510 may be used to determine device identification, environmental conditions, and transmission efficiency.

5A is a flow chart illustrating a method of performing impedance measurements over a shared conductive backplane 10, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 5A, at operation 514, the impedance measurement may be performed by feeding a complex signal to each of the terminals coupled to the switching matrix of the transmit side 600, where the complex signal sweeps over a range of impedances. A return signal may be measured during operation 516 and a measurement of the return signal may occur simultaneously with the sweep of the impedance 514 (e.g., in one embodiment, the signal is supplied at the first transmit impedance and the second transmit impedance corresponding to the first transmit impedance The return signal is measured, the sender next "sweeps " the signal at the second transmit impedance, and their return signal is now measured in turn).

Return signals that differ from the expected baseline or "open circuit" state are written according to their associated transmit impedance. For example, without any sink device 200 coupled to the backplane, the sensing circuitry 104 of the transmitting device 600 will detect the reflected signal corresponding to the complex signal transmitted to the backplane 10 . However, when the active and passive sink devices 200 are coupled to a network, these other sink devices that are coupled to the network can be identified by their identification impedance. For example, a sink device having a characteristic device impedance of R _k + jQ _k may be identified as being connected to the network, and the transmitting device 600 (e.g., the manager device 100 or the charger 400) If a for supplying a signal to the backplane with the transmission impedance R _k ± jQ _k, the transmission device 600 to supply a signal in the transmission impedance corresponding to the associated devices, energy supplied to the impedance reflected by the open-circuit on the backplane It is consumed by the sink device.

The master device 100 sends a handshake request (e.g., to another manager device or sink device 200) (e.g., a manager device 100 or a sink device 200 ) Handshake request, and provides the initiating power to the passive sink device. According to one embodiment, collecting impedance measurements and performing handshakes occur simultaneously over both available terminals, real and imaginary signals, and combinations of real and imaginary impedances.

5B is a flow chart illustrating a method 520 of performing a handshake operation with a sink device 200, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. This method will be described herein with reference to FIG. 3E, where the communications circuitry 216 includes two impedances ( R ₁ ± jQ ₁ and R ₂ ± jQ ₂ ) and the switch 2162 is open If only R ₁ ± jQ ₁ is seen and switch 2162 is closed, R ₁ ± jQ ₁ and R ₂ ± jQ ₂ are seen. However, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the specific configuration of the impedance shown in Fig. 3E, and other configurations are possible. For example, in one embodiment, the communication circuitry 216 includes a third impedance ( R ₃ ± jQ ₃ ), which is coupled in parallel with R ₁ ± jQ ₁ and R ₂ ± jQ ₂ when the second switch is closed Can be connected. In another embodiment, the impedance is implemented such that closing one or more switches places the impedance in series rather than in a parallel configuration.

Referring to Figure 5B, at operation 522, the first impedance (e.g., R ₁ ± jQ ₁ ) of the sink device is detected based on, for example, the impedance sweep technique described in Figure 5a. At operation 524, a first handshake signal is provided to the conductive medium from which the sink device 200 was detected. The handshake signal may be, for example, a digital signal including identification information associated with a manager device, a digital signature (for establishing the identity of the manager device), or another trigger signal, analog or digital.

The sink device 200 periodically listens for its signal / handshake requests from the master device (e.g., manager device 100) over its terminals. Upon detection, the sink device 200 switches over its specified configured real and imaginary impedances (e.g., by closing the switch 2162, as shown in Figure 3E) , Or to send a handshake request (or a handshake response) as a response. In some embodiments, the sink device 200 responds only when the handshake request received from the manager device 100 is authenticated and authorized, or otherwise corresponds to an administrator device compatible with the sink device 200.

At operation 526, the manager device 100 detects a handshake response. For example, if the sink device 200 responds with a digital or analog handshake request, a handshake response may be received. In the case of a response corresponding to the digital signature, the signature can be verified by the administrator device 100 to confirm that the sink device is authenticated to be powered by the administrator device. As another example, when the sink device 200 responds by altering the provided impedance (e.g., by opening or closing the switch 2162), the manager device 100 may determine the expected impedance (e.g., , R ± ₂ jQ may detect the handshake response by finding the variation of the impedance of the network at ₂ and parallel with R ₁ ± jQ ₁ or _{R 1 ± jQ 1 || R 2} ± jQ 2).

The passive sink device may be configured not to do anything when receiving a signal from the manager device 100 and the manager device 100 may determine the impedance and the identifier (or device ID) of the passive sink device in a manner similar to the operation of the RFID device As shown in FIG.

After detecting a device coupled to the backplane 10, the manager device 100 updates its list of connected devices with impedance measurements and continues to measure the environment and presence of the devices connected to the backplane 10 .

Using the list of connected devices and stored measurements, the manager device 100 powers the various devices connected to the system using the connections detected as being connected to each of the sink devices. In some embodiments, the manager device 100 includes a memory that stores information related to various types of active and passive sink devices 200 that are compatible with the manager device 100. By identifying devices based on their device identifiers or device IDs (e.g., an impedance based identifier or an identifier that is supplied via a digital information signal communicated over the backplane 10), the manager device 100 can determine power requirements For example, voltage and current ranges, and in the case of devices powered by AC, the operating frequency range).

In some embodiments of the present invention, the digital data signal may be used for identification and for communicating parameter settings such as operating voltage, bandwidth, and so on.

In some instances, multiple sink devices are connected to the same conductive path of the backplane 10. In some of these cases, other sink devices may be interoperable, e.g., they may operate in an overlapping voltage range and their combined current requirements may be greater than the maximum value that can be supplied by the manager device 100 Lower. In these cases, the manager device 100 may be configured to supply power to both of these devices.

In other cases, other sink devices may operate at very different voltages, and thus may be mutually incompatible. In some embodiments of the invention, the status indicator may be displayed (e.g., to one or more of the sink device and the manager device) to indicate that the current configuration is not valid. In other embodiments, the sink device communicates using communication circuitry 116 and 216 to negotiate sharing of the conductive medium. For example, a sink device uses time division multiplexing to power up at a compatible voltage for a scheduled time interval. This sink device 200, which is compatible with the time division multiplexing sharing scheme, may include a temporary power storage component such as a capacitor or a supercapacitor and / or a long term power storage device such as a chemical battery cell. Additionally, such a sink device may include a switching component for protecting the circuitry from incompatible voltages (e.g., overvoltage) during a time period during which power is being supplied to other sink devices.

In some embodiments of the present invention, impedance tuning and matching may be performed by the manager device 100 by changing the impedance in the impedance matching circuits 102 and 202 to find and optimize transmission efficiency after performing impedance measurements. And the sink device 200, respectively.

In addition, a change in the environment will result in a small but measurable change in the characteristic impedance. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the manager device 100 measures a bus state by transmitting a complex signal (e.g., a frequency and / or phase varying signal) and measuring a response across all of its terminals And changes the transmission mode based on this state. For example, the sink device may only intermittently contact one of the conductive paths of the backplane 10, for example due to jostling while the person carrying the device is walking. In other cases, the sink device may be in better contact with the first conductive path than the second conductive path because of congestion.

As such, in some embodiments of the present invention, multiple backplanes 10 may be coupled to the device, and the controller circuit 106 may be configured to determine an optimal path for charge transfer, which is data or energy For example, determine which backplane to charge), and the manager device 100 will be configured to supply power or data to the sink device only while a suitable connection is detected. Impedance measurements may include measuring bus state and comparison efficiency and may be performed concurrently with other operations.

A precise comparison of the supplied and consumed energy (e.g., the voltage and current drawn from the battery and the voltage and current consumed by the sink device) can be made to account for the loss and unintended sink, Ensure operational safety even when exposed to harsh environments and human connections. For example, a sharp decrease in the measured impedance may indicate a short circuit, thereby indicating that the manager device 100 should stop supplying power to the conductive path representing a short circuit condition. Moreover, other unexpected increases in power consumption may also indicate the presence of unintended sinks, which would also disable power supply. In embodiments of the present invention, the manager device 100 will continue to monitor the impedance on the network and detect when it may be safe to power it up again.

As used herein, the term "controller circuit" is used to refer to any controller circuit capable of performing the functions described herein. Examples of the "control circuit" systems that can serve as a and the device is turned on CPU a command to be executed by the (e. G., A microcontroller, such as a processor and so on based on the x86 or ARM ^® architecture coupled to the dynamic memory) But are not limited to, a general purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, a suitably programmed field programmable gate array (FPGA), and an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) coupled to a memory to store data. Additionally, in some embodiments, the controller circuit may be an analog feedback circuit or system implemented in an ASIC or other form.

While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims, It is to be understood that it is intended to include water.

Claims (20)

CLAIMS What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for powering a plurality of devices coupled to a conductive backplane, the conductive backplane comprising a conductive pathway comprising:
A sensing circuit portion including a signal generator and a signal detector and coupled to the conductive backplane;
A power supply coupled to the conductive backplane; And
Controller circuit, the controller circuit comprising:
Control the signal generator to supply a plurality of sense signals at a plurality of transmit impedance values to the conductive backplane;
Analyze a plurality of return signals detected by the signal detector and corresponding to the sense signals;
Detecting the presence of a sink device coupled to the conductive path of the conductive backplane based on the analyzed return signal;
Wherein the controller circuit is configured to control the power supply to supply power to the sink device via the conductive path after detecting the presence of the sink device. The method according to claim 1,
The controller circuit comprising:
Detecting the absence of the sink device;
And to control the power supply to stop supplying power to the sink device via the conductive path in response to detecting the absence of the sink device. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the controller circuit is configured to detect the absence of the sink device by detecting a change in one return signal corresponding to the sink device from the return signal. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the controller circuit is configured to detect the absence of the sink device by detecting a reduction in current on the conductive path. The method according to claim 1,
The controller circuit comprising:
Detecting a short circuit on the conductive path;
And to control the power supply to stop supplying power to the conductive path in response to detecting a short circuit. The method according to claim 1,
The controller circuit comprising:
Supply a handshake request to the sink device via the conductive path;
And receive a handshake response from the sink device via the conductive path. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein the handshake request comprises a digital signal and the digital signal represents a code. The method according to claim 6,
The handshake response includes a change in impedance,
Wherein the device is configured to receive the handshake response by detecting a change in one return signal of the return signal after providing the handshake request. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the conductive path comprises a conductive fabric of garment. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the controller circuit is a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or an analog feedback circuit. The method according to claim 1,
The apparatus is located in a vehicle including a seat,
The conductive path comprising a first conductive portion on a surface of the sheet,
The device is configured to change the battery while the battery is electrically connected to the second conductive portion of the garment,
Wherein a first conductive portion of a surface of the sheet is electrically connected to a second conductive portion of the garment. An apparatus configured to receive power through a shared conductive backplane,
A terminal coupled to the shared conductive backplane; And
And a first device identification impedance electrically coupled to the terminal and the shared conductive backplane. 13. The method of claim 12,
A second device identification impedance; And
And a switch configured to selectively couple and decouple the second device identification impedance to the shared conductive backplane. 14. The method of claim 13,
Wherein the power receiving apparatus further comprises a controller circuit, the controller circuit comprising:
Detect a handshake request signal through the conductive backplane;
And to turn the switch on or off in response to the detected handshake request. A method of powering a detected device coupled to a conductive backplane,
Supplying a plurality of sensing signals at a plurality of transmission impedance values to the conductive backplane;
Analyzing a plurality of return signals received from the conductive backplane and corresponding to the sense signals;
Detecting the presence of a sink device coupled to the conductive backplane based on the analyzed return signal; And
And powering the sink device from the power supply through the conductive backplane after detecting the presence of the sink device. 16. The method of claim 15,
Detecting the absence of the sink device; And
Further comprising: stopping powering the sink device via the conductive backplane in response to detecting the absence of the sink device. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the step of detecting the absence of the sink device includes a step of detecting a change in one return signal corresponding to the sink device among the return signals. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein detecting the absence of the sink device comprises detecting a decrease in current on the conductive path. 16. The method of claim 15,
Detecting a short circuit; And
And stopping powering the sink device via the conductive backplane in response to detecting the short circuit. 16. The method of claim 15,
Supplying a handshake request to the sink device via the conductive path; And
Further comprising receiving a handshake response from the sink device via the conductive path.

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